Is becoming an oral and maxillofacial surgeon right for me?
The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are actually willing to commit to pursuing the career. You don’t want to waste your time doing something you don’t want to do. If you’re new here, you should read about:
Still unsure if becoming an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is the right career path? Take the free CareerExplorer career test to find out if this career is right for you. Perhaps you are well-suited to become an oral and maxillofacial surgeon or another similar career!
Described by our users as being “shockingly accurate”, you might discover careers you haven’t thought of before.
How to become an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
The educational training involved in becoming an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is not for individuals looking to get through school quickly. Four years of undergrad work, four years of dental school and four to six years of residency is lengthy. Although one specific university major is not required to apply to dental school, good grades and several science classes are needed such as biochemistry, physics, biology, organic chemistry and general chemistry. After graduating with a four-year degree, the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) needs to be taken before going off to dental school for four years.
In the United States, there are a couple of different paths individuals can take to become an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. One path is to apply for a surgical residency approved by the American Dental Association’s Commission of Dental Accreditation. The surgical residencies for oral and maxillofacial surgeons are usually four to six years in length. After completion of the residency, surgeons can take a written and oral exam to become board certified in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
The second path is to earn dual degrees as both a dentist and medical doctor. There are several training programs and residencies that provide medical education concurrently, which is incorporated into the oral and maxillofacial residency. This route results in a medical degree also being awarded, and typically takes six years to complete.